Grip for golf club

ABSTRACT

A golf club of which hand grip part is built-in with advertising print layer, which can be viewed easily, protected from damage, wherein its image is enhanced for clearer view. A grip member is formed with a hole and combines with shaft top. A print layer displays advertisement on the outside of the grip member. A transparent layer covers and shows the print layer.

FIELD OF THE ART

This invention relates to a golf club of which hand grip part is built-in with advertising or PR-related print layer, which can be viewed easily, protected from damage, and its image is enhanced for clearer view.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

Golf is a game for players to grip golf clubs to hit golf balls to drive the balls into small holes at a certain distance and location. A golf club consists of a head to hit ball, a shaft made with metal or other material, and a grip which covers the end of shaft for the player to hold the club. Since the grip needs to be suitable for holding and not slippery, it is usually formed by winding and layering long strip made of rubber or plastic material around the shaft spirally, or formed with plastic material as a single body with the shaft.

However, conventional grips formed in above described methods require time, labor, and cost. In addition, layering method requires to prepare the layer material at appropriate length to prevent shortage or excess.

In golf games, players drive balls with golf clubs, holding the club tightly wearing gloves. Therefore, players' hands sweat, and golf club grips are subject to contamination and deterioration by sweat. Therefore, grips are commonly formed opaquely, in dark colors such as black or deep blue.

Since golf club grips attract players' eyes, golf club manufacturers print or engrave company logos, brands, or other advertising signs.

Golf club grips not only attract eyes but also are touched with hands most frequently. Therefore, conventional methods of printing signs or marks on grips are liable to be contaminated with sweat and/or dust, and erased by friction with hand.

Depressed or relieved engravings are not so distinctive to eyes, and printing ends in being detached or giving unpleasantness by adhesive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment in accordance with the invention

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a structure in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 4 is a reference drawing which show manufacturing process of the golf club grip in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the market inserted in the golf club grip in accordance with the invention.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is intended to solve above described problems by providing a golf club grip which has good sense of grip without damaging printed layer of advertisement, and enhance the visibility of the printing.

METHOD OF ACHIEVING THE OBJECT

In order to achieve the said object, the present invention provides a golf club grip which is formed with rubber or plastics and combined with club shaft, and ad sign can be printed on the surface of the grip member, which is then covered with a transparent over-layer of which material is transparent rubber or plastic.

EFFECT OF THE INVENTION

The golf club grip in accordance with the present invention is not affected by sweat from hands or other external environments, maintaining the print layer for a long time of use, therefore, suitable for advertisement for various purposes. And said grip is not slippery when wet with sweat, giving good sense of grip preventing twist at the time of impact, preventing golf elbow syndrome. In addition, the grip is very easy to join with club shaft.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The functions and effects of the said members set forth and described herein above are described herein below with drawings.

The grip for golf club in accordance with the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, is characterized by being formed with; a grip member (G) formed with a hole (11) and combined with top of club shaft(S); a print layer (20) showing ads formed on outer surface of said grip member (G); and a transparent layer (30) formed over the exterior of said print layer (20).

Here, the golf club grip in accordance with the present invention is comprised of grip member (G), a print layer (20) and a transparent layer (30), a part of golf club held by user, and is mounted at top portion of a golf club shaft (S). On the bottom of said shaft (S) is a head (H) which hits ball.

Said grip member (G) is combined with shaft (S) inserted through the hole (11) of the grip (10) which has an extension (13) at center of which is formed with a hole (11) for the shaft and to discharge air when the shaft(S) is inserted in.

On the extension (13) of said grip member (10) has a marker (14), as shown in FIG. 5, which can be made of various materials including, but not restricted to, rubber, PVC, plastics, aluminum, steel, copper, or other metals, in diverse colors, sizes, and weight, for distinctive view.

Said marker (14) is prepared with harder and stronger material than grip member (10), and processed by placing the marker (14) on mold and injecting molten rubber or plastics which is the material for grip body to protect the marker from being damaged.

In addition, at the top center of said marker (14) is formed with a hole (15), as a single body with the grip body, and the hole (15) is in line with the vent hole (11) formed on the top extension (13) so that the air in the grip body can be exhausted when assembling shaft (S) with grip member (G).

Here, said grip member (10) is made of elastic rubber or plastics, transparent or opaque, or may have desired colors.

The materials for said grip member (G) are synthetic rubber and silica (SiO2) as filler. A preferable composition of the material is 55-63% (weight) of butadiene rubber, 12-20% of styrene butadiene rubber, 12-18% of isoprene rubber, and 11-18% of silica (SiO2).

Butadiene rubber is a kind of synthetic rubber produced by polymerizing butadiene. It has excellent elasticity, were resistance, low heat capacity, strong against cold, and used for producing tires, drive belts, plastics blender and etc. When the butadiene rubber is blended by less than 55%, elasticity and transparency of grip is degraded, and if more than 64%, workability, tensile strength, and tear strength are degraded, though elasticity and were resistance become better. Therefore, preferred blending ratio of the butadiene rubber is 55-63%.

Styrene butadiene rubber is a copolymer of butadiene and styrene polymerized in low temperature. It is a commonly used synthetic rubber due to a number of merits such as were and heat resistance, stable scorch properties, and workability including injection and extrusion moldings. It is used car parts, shoes, hose, and as modifier or adhesive for plastics. If the ratio by weight of styrene butadiene rubber is 12% or less, grip becomes slippery due to degraded wet traction by sweat or moisture, and if more than 20%, transparency is degraded. Therefore, desirable mix ratio of styrene butadiene rubber is 12-20%.

Isoprene rubber is stereoregular polyisoprene having cis-1,4 bond by more than 90%. It is called synthetic natural rubber because it has the same structure as stereo rubber or natural rubber. It is produced by polymerizing isoprene solution using Ziegler or alkyl lithium catalyst, of which properties are similar to natural rubber, and when vulcanized, elongation and resistance against tear are better than natural rubber, less heat generation, and has excellent tensile strength, anti-aging, electrical properties and especially superb workability. However, elasticity is a little low, slippery in rain when processed into tires, and expensive.

If the mix ratio of isoprene rubber is 12% or less, tensile and tear strength is weak, therefore, grips made with such material is liable to be torn by strong impact in golf game, and it the ratio is more than 18%, transparency is degrades. Therefore, preferred mix ratio of isoprene rubber is 12˜18%.

Silica (SiO2) is used as a filler, which determines hardness of grips, and improves physical properties of grip materials. If its mix ratio is less than 11%, grip becomes softer, and if more than 18%, grip becomes too hard. Therefore, preferred mix ratio of silica is 11˜18%.

Said grip body (10) is formed with rubber, etc., at temperature of 120˜200° C. and pressure of 150˜400 psi, for 3˜15 minutes. The preferred forming temperature of grip is 120˜200° C., because at temperature lower than 120° C., rubber grains in the raw material are not fully fused, and if higher than 200° C., the rubber is hardened and becomes brittle, giving poorer grip feeling.

Preferred forming pressure of grip body (11) is 150˜400 psi. If the pressure is lower than 150 psi, grip surface is not smooth due to particle lines which may require extra process to be removed. If the pressure is higher than 400 psi, grip surface appears food but energy consumption becomes too much.

Generally, the time for forming grip body (10) is 3˜15 minutes. It the time is shorter than 3 minutes, the forming temperature has to be raised for full integration of material. If the time is longer than 15 minutes, productivity is lowered. Therefore, preferred time for forming grip is 5˜9 minutes.

To form golf grips, equivalent vulcanization conditions, which is a total heat capacity (Q) is required. This total heat capacity (Q) is determined by; Q=Temperature (T)×Time (t). Therefore, if temperature is high, the time can be shortened, and vice versa.

Said print layer (20), which is directly printed on the surface of grip body (10) to display ads, is printed using elastic or viscous material. The ads may be events, tour sites, brand or manufacturer's name, owner's name or contact information, picture, diagram, or character.

A preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention is characterized by the said print layer (20) is added with fluorescent material to enhance visibility in the dark.

In addition, the print layer is formed using elastic and/or viscous material. This is because, when grip body is deformed, then the print layer also has to follow the deformation so that it is not isolated from the grip body, as well as to prevent damage over a long-term use.

Said transparent layer (30) is formed to overlap the print layer (20), made of transparent rubber or plastics to show the print layer clearly. Its material needs to be elastic and abrasion resistant to absorb impact and endure long-term use, and soft to provide users with good grip feeling.

A brief description on the manufacturing process of the golf club grip (G) in accordance with the present invention, with reference to FIG. 4, is given herein below. First, grip body (10) is formed with elastic rubber material, print layer is formed by printing on the outer surface of said grip body (10), and transparent layer (30) is formed over the exterior of said print layer (20).

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said print layer (20) is formed with elastic and viscous material added with fluorescent material.

The golf club grip (G) in accordance with the present invention shows print on the print layer (20) clearly through transparent layer (30) and maintains the print layer (20) firmly between the grip body (10) and transparent layer (30), against impact.

In addition, golf players are liable to golf elbow syndrome, which is caused by excessive impact on the muscles and tendon below the elbow during golf swing and hitting. Excessively strong stroke in golf may damage muscles and tendon of elbow. Golf elbow is very harmful to arm, taking time and money for treatment. To prevent golf elbow, select appropriate golf club and correct swing method.

Golf elbow is difficult to treat, and even cured, relapse rate is more than 50%. It is recommended to use golf clubs which have shock absorbing grips to prevent golf elbow. Due to the elasticity of said transparent layer (30), swing impact can be greatly absorbed to prevent golf elbow.

The transparent layer (30) of the grip (G) in accordance with the present invention has lower rubber hardness and higher maximum static friction coefficient, compared with conventional grips, giving netter grip feeling. Good grip feeling prevents twist at impact providing better orientation. In addition, the transparent layer (30) in accordance with the present invention can reduce shock transmitted to user greatly due to its lower rubber hardness and high tensile strength.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention set forth and described herein above are only exemplary, and the applicability and scope of the present invention is not limited to the description herein above, but can be implemented in various shape and functionalities. In addition, it has to be clarified that the grip in accordance with the present invention can be implemented in the same manner in the grips for tennis rackets too. 

1. A golf club grip characterized by being comprised of; a grip body (10) formed with an air vent hole (11) and combined with top part of a golf club; print layer (20) which is directly printed on said grip surface (10) to show ads, and etc.; and transparent layer (30) which is formed over the entire surface of said print layer (20).
 2. A golf club grip in accordance with claim 1, wherein, the said grip body (10) is characterized by being made of elastic rubber.
 3. A golf club grip in accordance with claim 1, wherein, the print layer (20) is formed with elastic and viscous material.
 4. A golf club grip in accordance with claim 1, wherein, the print layer (20) is formed with additional fluorescent material. 